diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
index 6c640d28f..3f879ce28 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
@@ -58,32 +58,6 @@ def on_mode_entered(mode, win_id):
         modeman.maybe_leave(win_id, usertypes.KeyMode.hint, 'insert mode')
 
 
-def _resolve_url(elem, baseurl):
-    """Resolve a URL and check if we want to keep it.
-
-    Args:
-        elem: The QWebElement to get the URL of.
-        baseurl: The baseurl of the current tab.
-
-    Return:
-        A QUrl with the absolute URL, or None.
-    """
-    for attr in ['href', 'src']:
-        if attr in elem:
-            text = elem[attr].strip()
-            break
-    else:
-        return None
-
-    url = QUrl(text)
-    if not url.isValid():
-        return None
-    if url.isRelative():
-        url = baseurl.resolved(url)
-    qtutils.ensure_valid(url)
-    return url
-
-
 class HintContext:
 
     """Context namespace used for hinting.
@@ -274,7 +248,7 @@ class HintActions(QObject):
             elem: The QWebElement to download.
             _context: The HintContext to use.
         """
-        url = _resolve_url(elem, context.baseurl)
+        url = elem.resolve_url(context.baseurl)
         if url is None:
             raise HintingError
         if context.rapid:
@@ -301,7 +275,7 @@ class HintActions(QObject):
             'QUTE_SELECTED_TEXT': str(elem),
             'QUTE_SELECTED_HTML': elem.outer_xml(),
         }
-        url = _resolve_url(elem, context.baseurl)
+        url = elem.resolve_url(context.baseurl)
         if url is not None:
             env['QUTE_URL'] = url.toString(QUrl.FullyEncoded)
 
@@ -1012,7 +986,7 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
             handler = functools.partial(elem_handlers[self._context.target],
                                         elem, self._context)
         elif self._context.target in url_handlers:
-            url = _resolve_url(elem, self._context.baseurl)
+            url = elem.resolve_url(self._context.baseurl)
             if url is None:
                 self._show_url_error()
                 return
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webelem.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webelem.py
index 213ee435c..0d62dad26 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webelem.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webelem.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import QRect, QUrl
 from PyQt5.QtWebKit import QWebElement
 
 from qutebrowser.config import config
-from qutebrowser.utils import log, usertypes, utils, javascript
+from qutebrowser.utils import log, usertypes, utils, javascript, qtutils
 
 
 Group = usertypes.enum('Group', ['all', 'links', 'images', 'url', 'prevnext',
@@ -500,6 +500,30 @@ class WebElementWrapper(collections.abc.MutableMapping):
             visible_in_frame = visible_on_screen
         return all([visible_on_screen, visible_in_frame])
 
+    def resolve_url(self, baseurl):
+        """Resolve the URL in the element's src/href attribute.
+
+        Args:
+            baseurl: The URL to base relative URLs on as QUrl.
+
+        Return:
+            A QUrl with the absolute URL, or None.
+        """
+        for attr in ['href', 'src']:
+            if attr in self:
+                text = self[attr].strip()
+                break
+        else:
+            return None
+
+        url = QUrl(text)
+        if not url.isValid():
+            return None
+        if url.isRelative():
+            url = baseurl.resolved(url)
+        qtutils.ensure_valid(url)
+        return url
+
 
 def get_child_frames(startframe):
     """Get all children recursively of a given QWebFrame.
diff --git a/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_webelem.py b/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_webelem.py
index f97402a9a..b5f4006bc 100644
--- a/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_webelem.py
+++ b/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_webelem.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import collections.abc
 import operator
 import itertools
 
-from PyQt5.QtCore import QRect, QPoint
+from PyQt5.QtCore import QRect, QPoint, QUrl
 from PyQt5.QtWebKit import QWebElement
 import pytest
 
@@ -942,3 +942,19 @@ class TestIsEditable:
         stubbed_config.data['input']['insert-mode-on-plugins'] = setting
         elem = get_webelem(tagname=tagname, attributes=attributes)
         assert elem.is_editable() == editable
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('attributes, expected', [
+    # No attributes
+    ({}, None),
+    ({'href': 'foo'}, QUrl('http://www.example.com/foo')),
+    ({'src': 'foo'}, QUrl('http://www.example.com/foo')),
+    ({'href': 'foo', 'src': 'bar'}, QUrl('http://www.example.com/foo')),
+    ({'href': '::garbage::'}, None),
+    ({'href': 'http://www.example.org/'}, QUrl('http://www.example.org/')),
+    ({'href': '  foo  '}, QUrl('http://www.example.com/foo')),
+])
+def test_resolve_url(attributes, expected):
+    elem = get_webelem(attributes=attributes)
+    baseurl = QUrl('http://www.example.com/')
+    assert elem.resolve_url(baseurl) == expected